The Wrath of Achilles

In last week’s lessons, we started with a recap activity to help remind you all on what happened in book one of the Iliad. You were asked in groups to create a cartoon summary of the key events of the book and then to present your summary to the class. You all remembered key bits such as the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, and some of you remembered that it started with an invocation to the muse. Some of you carried on further than the events of book one, but all of you had a very good go at drawing and presenting. Below are some of your cartoons!

Then we explored by Achilles did eventually start fighting. I showed you two scenes from the film Troy, one of which showed Achilles hiding away in his tent, and Patroclus, a loyal friend (or cousin in the film), trying to encourage him to rejoin the fighting. The second scene showed the Trojans storming the beach where the Greeks were camped, and suddenly a figure who looks like Achilles runs into the fray. Hector, the greatest of the Trojans, kills him, and it turns out to be Patroclus dressed in Achilles’ armour.

We discussed how the death of his beloved friend filled him with rage and it was only this that caused him to return to battle.

We then started looking at chapter five in our Latin text books, which narrates the story of Apollo and Daphne, and we made a start on the first few sentences. We will continue with this translation on Friday!